Speaking after contributing in the House of Commons, Mrs Lockhart said recent election results should have been a wake-up call to Government, but instead Ministers appear determined to continue “business as usual”.

She said:

“Having listened intently to the King’s Speech, I was left with one conclusion: the Government just do not get it. We have a Government completely out of touch. After recent election results and a surge in support for parties campaigning on illegal immigration, sovereignty and cost of living pressures, I would have thought the Government might finally have recognised public frustration. Instead, they appear to have learned nothing.

People are angry about illegal immigration, angry about the cost of living and the pressure they feel every time they fill up their car or heat their home, and angry about overstretched public services. Ordinary people increasingly feel they are losing control over decisions affecting their lives. There is a growing sense that decisions are being taken by people who simply do not understand the pressures facing families and businesses outside Westminster.

The public want practical action, not political slogans. Families are watching every penny, pensioners are struggling, businesses are under pressure and farmers are fighting to survive. Where was the support for our rural economy? Where was meaningful recognition of Northern Ireland? Where was action on illegal immigration, pressure on public services, support for pensioners or meaningful welfare reform? What frustrates people most is not simply what was said, but what was missing.

On energy, families in Northern Ireland face a very different reality. Around 60% of households rely on home heating oil and many live in rural communities where a car is not optional but essential. When prices rise, people here feel it immediately. I have repeatedly called for practical measures including cuts to fuel duty, greater support for those reliant on heating oil and interventions that actually ease pressure on household budgets. Those are not radical proposals. They are practical steps that would show a Government in touch with the realities people face.

Families are entitled to ask why support remains sitting untouched while they continue to struggle with rising costs. We have £81 million provided by Westminster sitting in a Sinn Féin-controlled department rather than reaching households who desperately need it.

People support protecting the environment, but they also expect realism. We should be backing strategic industries, supporting domestic energy production and reducing the burden on households and businesses, not increasing it through unrealistic policies that ultimately leave working people footing the bill.

The election results should have been a political earthquake, a warning shot, yet the Government remain trapped in the Westminster bubble with little understanding of what life actually looks like outside SW1. The public sent a clear message at the ballot box. It is time for Government to wake up, get out of the Westminster bubble and start listening.”